We are proud to have been featured in a new book on organic farming, The Complete Guide to Organic Livestock Farming:Everything You Need to Know about Farming on a Small Scale, by Terri Paanjanen. You can also find it on Amazon.com!
Located in the little town of East Randolph,VT, High Ridge Meadows Farm, is a small, hillside farm on about 34 acres of fields and woods , owned and operated by Mary and Jim Moran. We raise certified organic grass-fed beef and lamb, as well as certified organic, pastured poultry, and produce our own pure maple syrup. In addition, we grow certified organic vegetables, herbs, garlic & onions.
Our cattle are Devon, Hereford, Angus, and our newest addition, Blonde d'Aquitaine and their crosses, all of which do especially well on pasture. We are slowly increasing the herd as we believe it is important to keep just the right number of animals for the available pasture. We strive to give each animal plenty of space to graze, utilizing rotational grazing methods. Giving them lots of room helps to keep them healthy and happy.
We raise certified organic, grass fed, purebred Icelandic sheep for meat, fleece, and cheese. Our sheep fleece is beautiful! We have it processed into yarn at a fiber processor in Connecticut, where they are very careful to use natural, non-toxic methods. Beginning this year, we will be able to have our wool processed organically! This year we added a wonderful, hardy, new sheep breed, the Katahdin (as in Mt. Katahdin, Maine) which is raised primarily for its lean, mild meat. we hope to be able to offer lamb on a more year round basis beginning in 2014.
We pasture raise organic chickens for meat and also have a small flock of Peking ducks. Although they are usually bred for meat, we are raising them for their foraging abilities, eggs, and the entertainment factor that ducks provide! We will be adding Muscovy ducks and Guinea fowl this year as well.
In the late winter we produce our own maple syrup, which has become a passion for us. After having attended a couple of seminars on maple sugaring, we have installed tubing which will increase our production, but still hang buckets close to the house.
All of our animals are raised using organic standards, spend the grazing season on pasture and are fed organic hay during the winter months. We practice rotational and mixed species grazing. Our animals have continual access to the fresh air and free choice shelter from the elements (even in winter!), and we never use antibiotics or hormones. Our meat is processed nearby at a local USDA inspected facility which cuts, vacuum seals and freezes our beef and lamb. Poultry is processed on farm, and at a USDA facility. We raise healthy, happy animals -- grass fed and grass finished, which produce healthy, great tasting meat.